Operating device for conveyers and the like



May 2, 1933. H. w. BRADLEY x-:r Al. 1,907,142

OPERATING DEVICE FOR CONVEYERS AND THE LIKE F11ed Jan. 11, 1952 s sheets-sheet 1 May 2, 1933.

H. W. BRADLEY ET AL.

OPERAATING DEVICE FOR CONVEYERS AND THE LIKE Filed` Jan. ll 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /r OVERI. OAD SWITCH May 2 1933 l H.'w. BRADLEY Er Al, v 1,907,142

0ERATING DEVICE FOR CONVEYERS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 11, 1952 s sheets-sheet 5 l f ovzm aan swim! A TTORNEYS Patented May 2, 1933 i UNITED STATES YrarEN'r orme-E HOWARD WQBRADLEYAND ERNEST G. scHLUr, or MIDDLETOWN, omdnssronons 'Y 'ro THE vAivrnnroalv ROLLING MILL COMPANY, or MIDnLE'roWN, oHIo, A ooRPoRA- i orEBArING nEvIcafroR ooNvEYERs AND THE LIKE Appncfuimiined` January 11,1932. serial No. 585,932.

YOur invention relates to mechanism for the automatic or semi-automatic actuation particularly of conveyer mechanisms, and While it Willbe applic-able toa variety of ymachines to be controlled, its nature will be understood .from the following disclosure, wherein We have .described in connection with an exemplary embodiment for .the delivery of sheets or packs :or metal pieces from va furnace. D

ln .connection Withthe `exemplary embodlment; that is to say, the delivery .of meta-l pieces from ,the furnace, the problem 1s to provide for the automatic or semi-automatic delivery of these pieces from the furnace to a man .operating a rolling mill or the like, to whom we shall :hereinafter refer as the roller. Heretofore in commercial operation the control of the delivery .end of the furnace has been thev separate employment of another man, and theroller himself has not been able to. give his attention both to the passing of sheets or packs through the mill to the catcher Yand `to the operation` of the furnace delivery mechanism. I

An objectof our invention is to make kthe delivery kof metal pieces from thev furnace either fully automatic or semi-automatic 1n the sense .that the roller, as he .finishes the last Ipass with a previous` sheet or pack, may Start intooperationa series of automatic fac tions-which wilLdeliver the next sheet or pack to him from the furnace. l

Anotherobj ect of.. our invention: is the provision of-means of this character vwhich will take Careof .piecesofdifferent size and character without .individual adjustment, so that a run :maybefmade including y.various kinds of pieces, ora change may vbe madefrom a run of one kind toa run ofianother without changing overvthemechanism.y

Ancillary objects'of our invention may comprise the provision, in means of this char-v acter,.of selective mechanism forthecontrol of the several devices, together with means affording safety factors as may be desired.

These and other objects ofiour invention, which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in Ithe art upon reading these specications, weaccomplish by that certainconstxruction and arrangement vof parts of which We shall novv describe the aforesaid exemplary embodiment, reference being` had to the drawings which form a part hereof. y

In the drawings: Y A

Figure l is a diagrammatic elevation of a furnaceV arranged to deliver heated sheets, packs, or pieces to a pair of rolls.

Fig. Qis a semi-diagrammatic end View of a furnace showing portions of our controlling mechanism. Y

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end of a furnace showing features of our controlling mechanism. f f

Fig. 4 is an arrangement diagram in iwhich are indicated the conveyer and prime mover and` `the several controlling and selective mechanisms not including, however, those which are actuated by the pieces being conveyed.

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of an exemplary apparatus embodying our invention.

Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram infwhich revers# ing means is employed. i j

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of a type of apparatus employing but one trigger, and a latching device. Y

In Figure l, we'have indicated a furnace l, equipped with a conveyer 2, arranged to carry metal pieces 30 or the like, therethrough. The conveyer 2 is yarranged at its delivery end'to transfer the pieces to a supplementary conveyer or runout table 3, whence the roller may transfer them .to a rolling lmill indicated diagrammatically at 4E.

rThe character of the furnace, the conveyer', run out table, land the mills, are not limin tations upon our invention. Our invention is equally adapted to the control of ordelivery of materialsto a'wide variety of types of these instrumentalities. Accordingly, .We have indicated them only diagrammatically.

rlhe conveyer 2, shown Vin Figs, 1,-2 and 4, is a cham conveyer of the type havingv upwardly extending projections-or feet of heat resisting alloys whichcontact the sheets or packs asthey move through the' furnace.- As shown in Figure 4, the conveyer 2 isA actuated by a primev mover 13, which may bean electric motor. It has been indicated as such in this embodiment, and the several controls as electric switches, relays, and the like. The motor 13 has a starting box or controller 14 preferably of a type which provides for starting and stopping the motor in forward or reverse directions, since it may be desirable in some instances to run the furnace conveyer backwards.

- Heretofore an eXtra man has had to be stationed where he could watch the rolling operation and have access to the various starting and controlling buttons connected with the starting box or controller 14. At or near the end of a rolling operation this man would then start the conveyer to the end of delivering a piece to the run out table 3, stopping the conveyer assoon as this was accomplished. Possible variations in the length of piece or differences in the length of pieces as between runs have hitherto made it appear all the more necessary to provide this eXtra man. r

In our invention we obviate this necessity, and we provide in one phase of our invention a control button indicated at 17 in Figure 4, which may be located where the roller himself -can get at it conveniently. This button or switch may, if desired, be in the form of a foot treadle mechanism which the roller may actuate,V even while he is occupied in giving the sheet or pack ther final pass in the Ymills 4. Our invention provides means whereby, upon the actuation of the starting switch v17', the necessary sequence of operations thereupon becomes automatic irrespective of any variation in the length of the pieces, and irrespective of any variation in the spacing between the pieces upon the conveyer.

To this end,1one provision is that the piece itself actuate controlling mechanism for stopping the conveyer at the right point, and also means whereby the piece itself may control the duration of the starting current impulse so that the length oftime the roller keeps his foot on the treadle switch 17 becomes unimportant. In other words, we provide in our invention `means whereby, as soon as the roller has'initially actuated a suitable starting switch, the duration of operation of the conveyer and the stopping thereof become fully automatic, and are determined by the characteristics of the piece being delivered. Y

In the embodiment shown, switch 17 is a single pole switch which makes a. controlling circuit. If this were released and no other means provided for holding the starting circuit, the conveyer wouldV stop. 'Hence we provide means whereby the piece, as itleaves the furnace, operates Ya holding circuit or closes a main circuit of the controller 14, as the case may be.V

Located in the path of the sheet or pack,

5' we have provided a trigger 5, attached non rotatably to a shaft 11. A counterweight arm or lever 7 is also attached to the shaft, the counterweight being indicated at 7 a. The arm 7 is connected through a rod 8, to a limit switch`10, located upon some suitable support. A turn buckle 8a may be provided in the rod, and the upper end of the rod is preferably provided with a slotted member 9 which allows some play inthe parts, whereby the trigger `5 may follow"irregularities or variations in flatness in the pack or piece 30 without affecting the limit switch 10.

Upon the actuation of the foot treadle 17, Athe motor 13 is started, and the pack 30 moves toward the run out Vtable 3. The pack as it leaves the furnace, strikes the-trigger 5, and through the mechanism-just described, operates thelimit switch 10.

A second triggery at 6 is provided, also located in the path of the sheet or pack and connected with a shaft 11a, arranged through mechanism similar to that described in connection with the shaftll to. operate a second limit switch 10a, shown fory the purpose of illustration as located upon the opposite side of the furnace.

Ve have indicated the trigger 6 as located somewhat behind the trigger 5 so that the pack 30, as it moves from the furnace, will first actuate the trigger 5, and subsequently the trigger 6. A stop 12 is shown as co-operating with the lever arm 7 to limit the motion of' this lever arml and to absorb the energy of motion of the trigger 5 and connected mechanism when it moves back into operating position as the pack leaves it.

The limit switch is vfirst actuated by the pack striking the trigger 5. In this embodiment the limit switch 10 closes the main circuit of the starter 14. There is a holding circuit for this starter in our preferred embodiment, which holding circuit provides for the continuous actuation of'the motor circuit for the forward position as soon as the foot treadle switch 17 is depressed.

This provides for the continuous actuation of the motor until otherwise stopped, even though the foot treadle 17 be instantly released. Otherwise it would be necessary for the roller to keep his foot upon the treadle switch 17 until the pack 30 had depressed the trigger 5, andk through the limit switch 10 closed themain circuit of the starter. Our mechanism may be operated in this way if desired; but the attention of the roll-- er Awould have to be directed lto theposition of the piece, as will be obvious.V `In our preferred embodiment the .limit switch 10a is arranged, upon actuation ofthe trigger 6, to open the holding circuit of the motor controller Vor starting box 14. l

The'sequence offoperations, therefore, is as follows: The treadle switch 17 is-actuated in the forward direction, and a holding cir- `Cuit connected with the controller 14 maintains this operation, even though the treadle switch be instantly released. The `conveyer being started, the pack 30 first strikes the trigger 5, closing the main circuit of the controller 14.-v NeXt it strikes the trigger 6 and opens the holding circuit of the controller. The Voperation is now being maintained by the main circuit of the controller through the limit switch 10, and will be maintained as long as the trigger 5 is held depressed by the passage of the` piece or pack thereover.

It will be clear that variations in the length of the pieceor pack make no difference in this operation, and as long as a pack is being fed from the furnace, irrespective of its length, the trigger 5 will be held depressed, and the operation of the conveyer in the forward direction will be maintained by the main circuit of the starting box or controller 14. When the piece has passed the trigger 5, this trigger, actuated by the counterweight 7, will return to its original position, opening the main circuit of the controller through the limit switch 10, whereupon the conveyer stops. Y

The piece will, however, be carriedbeyond the trigger 6, allowing this trigger to return to its rst position, closing the holding circuit of the controller and making ready for a subsequent cycle of operations as just described. The making of the holding' circuit will not, of course, start the motor 13 again, but will arrange the circuits so that the subsequent actuation of the treadle switch 17, or some other switch in parallel therewith, will again start the cycle. Under some circumstances it may be desirable to arrange for the full automatic operation of the conveyer; that is to say, the timed delivery of pieces from the furnace 1. This can be accomplished by substituting for or connecting in parallel with the switch 17, any suitable timing device, rsuch as a time relay, a clock mechanism, or the like, which will close the circuit.

We have indicated in Figures 4 vand 5 a selector switch 15, which isof the doublethrow type and may be used to change the system over from' actuation by the foot treadle switch 17 to actuation by a timer 19, which may be of the character just described. A cut out switch 21, Figure 4, may be placed in the fcircuit4 of the timer if desired, and also, since with full-automatic operation a signal to let the roller know the time of delivery of pieces from the furnace 1 may be y desirable, we have-shown a bell or other signalling device 2O connected in a suitable way to the timer 19.

In the full automatic operation however, as started Vfor each cycle by the timer 19, we still have [the advantage of a controlV of the cycle by Vthe length of the piece vbeing delivered, so that automatic operation and the timed delivery of pieces is not .interrupted 'by changes in their length. The mechanism controlled bythe triggers 5 and 6is thus .arranged to `be effective inconnection with cycles started by the automatic timer 19, which in the particular circuit shown, is a substitute for the foot treadle switch 17. In a system of this character designedfor the deli-very of heated sheets or :packs from a furnace, occasion may arise for astopping of theconveyer at a time intermediate the beginning and end ofthe cycle, consequently we have provided a stopping switch indicated at 18.

Again, conditions may -require a reversal of the furnace conveyer kmechanism, for which reason we have provided a .reversing switch 16. yThe complete circuit of our Iexemplary embodiment as herein described is shown inFigure 5 in detail. Particular description of this circuit will not be necessary, since with different types ofstarting andcontrolling boxes or panels, or with different types of switches,'di1i'erent appropriate circuit -connections may be employed without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Itis frequently desirable `to provide for the reverse movement of the conveyer' at the end of a cycle .of operations. The reason for this has hither-to been made clear and may be restated in this way :-thatafter the delivery of a piece from the furnace the next succeeding piece may be carried either partly outside the furnace, or at least outside the Zone of proper heating. Consequently, a reversal of the furnace suiiicient to carry such piece back into the proper heating zone is desired. Manual provision forthis has been made in the organization shown in Fig. 4, namely the switch 16, b-ut an automatic operation may be lprovided for, as shown in Fig. 6. A statement of operation will .be sufficient to make this wiring diagram comprehensible.

As a piece is delivered from the furnace and strikes trigger 5, connected with limit switch 10b, this switch will be opened. As the sheet next strikes trigger .6, connected with limit switch 10c, this switch willv be closed. Switch 10c is connected with a'time release so marked, but the circuit at thissta-ge will sti-1l be open by reason of the opening of the switch 10?). The normal cycle hereinabove vdescribed is next carried on ythrough limit switches 10 and 10a, and vdoes not requirespecial description. As the 'end ofthe sheet, however, releases trigger 5, it willclose the circuit' tothe time relay through limit switch 10b, and the time relay will Vbe energized. Almost simultaneously the sheet in releasing trigger stops the forward cycle, and through limit switch 10c .opens 'the circuit to the timing relay. Thisrelay, however, keeps its contact closed for a predeter-` mined time. V This starts-the reversing cycle of the conveyer and continues it until/the ss v time relayV vre-sets itself, as will be readily understood. Y

Provision might also be made for causing the energizing of the time relay to stop the -tinal cycle through an eXtra pair of normally closed contacts on said relay.

Again, itis possible-to actuate reversing switches by mechanical-devices driven Vfrom the conveyer drive.

Finally, it is possible to provide means whereby a single. trigger will carry through the cycle described in connection with Fig. 5. In Fig. 7, represents a double-pole treadle switch, or other suitable manual or automatic starting device. 41 is the `coil of the magnetic contacter of a starting box. Then this coil is energized, the motor will be started by mechanism well understood but not shown. 42 isan auxiliary switch which is connected to the magnetic contactor in such a way that its contacts are open when the magnetic contactor is open, and vice versa. 43 is 'the coil of the relay. of the latching type. ,When this coil is energizedthe plunger44will move,

making contacts between members 45 and 46.

The plunger will also be held in contact making position ,by a latching device as known in this type of relay. Thelatching device is released by a plunger 47, actuated by a coil 48. The. 11n-latching of the plunger will, of course, open the circuit between contacts 45 and 46. 49 represents asingle trigger located'in the path of the moving sheets, or other objects. It has two contacts, or is connected to two limit switches 50 and 51. The remainingconnections of these devices to each other and topower lines 52 and 53 will be clear from Fig. 7. l

Vhen switch 40 is actuated by the roller, coils 41 and 43 are both energized. Mechanism connected with coil 41 starts the motor, and coil 43 makes the circuit between contact points 45 and 46. lVhen the foot switch is released, coil 41 remains energized through a circuit comprising the contact points 45 and 46, andthe switch 42. The motor, of course, runs. During the travel of the conveyer, the front endiof the sheet or object hits the trigger 49, closing switches 50 and 51. Through switch 50 there is thus established a parallel circuit through coilVV 41. r[he closing of switch 51 makes a circuit through the coil 48 of the latching member. y This, of course, actuates plunger 47 and the latchv connected therewith, releasing plunger-44.` l Contact is broken `in the l circuit comprising Contact points45 vand 46, but coil 41-remains energized through switch 50 until the rear end of the sheet or object releases trigger 49. Y.At this time also, the circuit will be broken through switch 51, and the latching mechanism will be re-set forthe next cycle. y

Having thus described our invention in anV exemplary embodiment, .whatl we claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, 153-.. ,H- luln combination withY conveyer mechanisma prime mover comprising an electric motor, controlling means for said electric mo.-

tor, said controlling meanshaving -a main circuit and a holding,. ci1'cuit,means for starting said motor, said means comprising a switch, and means actuated by an' article on said conveyer first to close said lmain circuit and open said holding circuit and to close said holding circuit after said article;y has passed a predetermined point. A

, 2.- In combination with conveyer mechanism, an electric motor, controlling means .therefor comprising a main circuit anda holding circuit, means for starting said motor,A comprising means for `rendering said holding circuit effective, and means actuated by an article on said conveyer for closing said main circuit and opening said holding circuit yand opening saidmain circuit in sequence.

I 3. In combination with conveyer mechanism, an electric motor, controlling .means therefor comprising a main circuit and holding circuit, means for starting saidmotor, comprising means Jfor rendering said holding circuit eiective, and means actuated by an article on said conveyer for closing said main circuit and opening said holding circuit and opening said main circuit in sequencesaid means comprising triggers lying in interspaced position in the path of saidarticle, said triggers voperatively connected with switches. I

4. In' .combination-with conveyer mechanism, an electric motor, controlling means therefor comprisingv a main circuit and a holding circuit, means for starting saidmotor, comprisingmeans for. rendering said holding circuit effective, and means actuated by an article on said conveyer for closing said main circuit and opening said holding. circuit and opening said main circuit in sequence, said means comprising triggers lying -in interspaced position in the path ot said article, said triggers operatively connected' with switches, and an automatic timing mechanism connected in parallel with said starting means. y

5. In combination with conveyer mechanism, an electric motor, controlling vmeans therefor comprising a main circuitanda holding circuit, means for starting said motor, comprising means for rendering said holding circuit eiective, and meansactuated by an article on' said conveyer for' closing said main circuitand opening said holding circuit and opening said main circuit in sequence, 'said means comprising triggers lying in interspaced position in the path of said article, said triggers operatively connected with switches, and an automatic timing mechanisml connected in parallel with said starting rmeans through a selector switch.

6. In combination with conveyer mechanism, an electric motor, controlling means therefor comprising a main circuit and-a holding circuit, means for starting said motor, comprising means for rendering said holding circuit effective, and mea-ns actuated by an article on said conveyer for closing said main circuit and opening said holding circuit and opening said main circuit in sequence, said means comprising triggers lying in interspaced position in the path of said article, said triggers operatively connected with switches, an automatic timing mechanism connected in parallel with said starting means through a selectorswitch, and a signalling means connected with said automatic timing means.

7. In combination with conveyer mechanism, a motor, controlling means for said motor comprising a main circuit and a holding circuit for forward operation, a stop switch, a reversing switch, a switch for rendering said holding circuit eective, switch operating means lying in the path of an article on said conveying means, and comprising first a switch for closing and opening said main circuit and interspaced therefrom in the direction of travel of said article, a switch for opening and closing said holding circuit, an automatic timing device, and a selector switch for connecting said starting switch and said automatic timing device preferentially to actuate said holding circuit.

HOVARD WV. BRADLEY. ERNEST G. SCHLUP. 

